Carlton's cards among Bush's favorites

Brewers pitcher grew up a fan of Phillies

When Dave Bush was growing up in suburban Philadelphia, he was a Phillies fan who would go to Veterans Stadium with his friends to watch his favorite club play and then trade baseball cards when he and his friends got home. Fast forward and Bush has played five seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers, and his love of baseball remains.

The former closer at Wake Forest University recently took some time to discuss his interest in baseball card collecting:

MLBPLAYERS.com: When you were going to Phillies games as a kid, did you think you'd see your face on a card one day?

Bush: Well, every kid hopes it will happen. You have dreams, but you're also realistic. You don't know. When I was doing well at Wake Forest, I thought I had a good chance. When I got to the Major Leagues and saw my rookie card, it was like, "Wow! I made it." At that point, I thought it was a neat thing.

MLBPLAYERS.com: Who were your favorite players to collect?

Bush: I liked Steve Carlton and other pitchers who were fun to watch, like Nolan Ryan. I think I still have those cards somewhere.

MLBPLAYERS.com: Do you remember your first MLB card?

Bush: I was so excited. I got a bunch of extra cards for my family and friends. Just getting to the big leagues was unbelievable. When you see your face on a baseball card, it is something that's hard to describe. That first one with the Blue Jays means a lot.

MLBPLAYERS.com: What was the best part about collecting cards?

Bush: I thought it was hanging out with my friends and trading your favorite player on a card for his favorite player. It was fun. It was kids being kids. Everything was simple. I'm a still a big kid at heart. I've never lost that. I love the game the same way I did when I was a kid.

MLBPLAYERS.com: You must enjoy signing autographs, right?

Bush: Absolutely. Signing my name on a baseball card is fun, because you get to hang out with the kids. I never forgot where I came from. It's always cool to sign my name to a card.